Crystals Have Officially Come for Our Nails, and We're Not Mad at It

It feels like an unwritten rule of social media that at any given moment, you must be within 18 feet of a gorgeous surface, preferably marble. Now add in crystals (good), and millennial pink (good), and you've got rose quartz nails, the latest nail art trend taking over our hearts and Instagram.

In a classic Joey Tribbiani trifle move (link here if you don't remember the most glorious Friends scene of our time), the trend piles on all the good things, a triple-hitter of Instagram obsession. Logically, the small curmudgeon inside of us doesn't want to love something so clearly overdone. But still, it's hard to resist the double-tap when a gorgeous, incredibly realistic rose quartz mani pops up on your feed. Like beauty influencer Jamie Paige's, for instance: impeccably done, it just nails it. A great pun we're not sorry for.

So how'd Paige hit the sweet spot between trend and "I've seen this everywhere and I never want to see it again?" (Our words, not hers.) Paige says it comes down to putting an original spin on something done a thousand times before—in this case, the marble manicure. "I’ve been really into marble nails for a while, I think everybody has been, and I was trying to think of a way to switch it up a bit."

That twist came from a pale, nude pink color, a hair lighter than the rosy shade her nail artist, Alexandra Bouffard, had in mind.

Speaking to the marble trend, Paige says it comes down to marble's classic appeal. For something that's held on since the Roman era, yep, it checks out. "I think it's the whole aesthetic and vibe that marble gives off, it’s a classic design that never really goes out of style. And honestly, you could put anything on a marble slab and it will look pretty. I think that’s why everybody loves it so much—it just gives such a pretty vibe to anything, whether that’s your nails or home decor."

Coming off the crazy days of glitter, unicorn, and mermaid nail art, Paige predicts marble and minimalism as the next gen of palate cleanser nail trends. "Pink quartz" might just be on the brain from crystals' popularity, given the trend also goes by Himalayan rock salt nails.

Bouffard is based in Canada, but Paige says recreating the look at home is definitely doable. After painting on a sheer, pink "marble" color, take a thin brush and sketch on lines in white polish. Dip the brush in nail polish remover, and blend out the edges for that cloudy marble effect. Top with a coat of pink for that authentic, marble-encased look.